Jeff Hovenier

WASHINGTON - Former US special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Richard Grenell says the US has the "tools" to prevent an escalation in Kosovo-Metohija.

In a reaction to a statement released by the US embassy in Pristina following the closure of Post of Serbia branch offices in the north of Kosovo-Metohija, Grenell said "strongly worded letters aren't working."

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Tuesday a 2010 UN General Assembly resolution on dialogue with Pristina and a decision on the mandate of EU facilitators exclusively referred to normalisation of relations and that there was no mention whatsoever of "mutual recognition."

PRISTINA - The EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak said on Tuesday he had held separate meetings with US Ambassador Jeff Hovenier and other diplomatic representatives in the so-called Kosovo, as well as with the Kfor command and officials of opposition parties in Pristina.

BRUSSELS - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday evening that, under UNSCR 1244, Kfor and NATO had no right to support the creation of an army of the so-called Kosovo.

Vucic was speaking to reporters in Brussels after a series of meetings with European officials about the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

One day after new Albanian mayors took their oaths of office in Serb-majority municipalities in the north of Kosovo, violence erupted between local Serbs and the police as locals attempted to stop the new mayors from entering their municipal buildings.

A US soldier gestures to a North Macedonian armoured vehicles near Kumanovo, North Macedonia. Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

Citizens of several Balkan countries over the weekend and on Monday have had an opportunity to see displays of military equipment being used for the NATO "Immediate Response" military exercise.

Hovenier pointed out that all agreements, including the one on the formation of the CSM, must be implemented.
"The expectations of the USA remain as they were. All agreements must be implemented, including the Community," Hovenier told the newsmen after the meeting with the Prime Minister of Pristina's temporary institutions, Albin Kurti.